Good Eating in the Gold Country: 4 Restaurants for your Next Meal in the Sierra Nevada Foothills

When it comes to the Gold Country, good eats can be found around every corner…especially when that corner is located in Old Downtown Auburn.

Auburn Alehouse

First of all, Old Auburn is home to one of this reporter’s favorite restaurants, Auburn Alehouse. There is no place that provides a range of exceptional ales and spectacularly scrumptious food, than this establishment.

With a wide array of menu items, Auburn Alehouse goes out of its way to serve food that pairs well with their ales. Our taste buds recommend the following pairings:Auburn Alehouse Burger (Black & Bleu-style)-What’s
great about this restaurant, is that when you order your burger medium rare, you get a true medium rare.

This burger pairs well with the Auburn Alehouse Goldigger I.P.A. WHY?

I.P.A. fanatic, Dave Giacomini, shares, “I like the bleu cheese with the burger, and the flavors go well together. The Golddigger is hoppy, I don’t know how to describe it, the flavors just go well together.”

Another favorite option is the Grilled Salmon Sandwich. I recommend upgrading to the Sweet Potato Fries, and pairing with the American River Pale ale. The juiciness of the fish, thinly slathered in a spicy aeoli compliments the light and fresh citrusy flavor of the ale. Bottom line, it’s delicious!

One drawback of the Auburn Alehouse is that it’s VERY busy all day long, every single day. We recommend you download the No Wait app to “get in line” for a table. We enjoy shopping the quaint stores while we wait. Once you’re in, don’t expect quick service. At times it will feel like FOREVER until you are served. SO HERE’S A BIG TIP: Go into it with a good attitude! You’ll get served as soon as they can serve you (remember this place is packed with patrons). Plus, once you get your piping hot plate laid in front of you, one bite and you will know it was worth every second of the wait.

Tio Pepe’s

If what you hanker for is some darn good authentic Mexican food, then look no further than Tio Pepe’s.

Nestled in Downtown Auburn, the family-owned establishment has been around forever. And there’s a good reason why…IT’S MUY DELICIOSA!!!

What do we recommend here to make your tastebuds roar, “OLE?”

Three Enchilada combo plate-one of each kind: carne, chicken and cheese.

We recommend pairing all of the above with either an icy cold draft of Modelo Especial (or Modelo Negro if we’re feeling daring)!

CHEAP EATS-Taco Tree

Okay people…if you want fast food, and you want GOOD fast food, gonna let you in on a little on a local secret. It’s a little dive-ish drive-in called Taco Tree. It’s so good, there are actually two locations, and you need to look it up on line, because there’s no website for this place at the time of this writing.

There are two great things about Taco Tree, (and we are talking about the Taco Tree on High Street near Old Downtown Auburn). First, it’s frickin’ cheap, cheap , cheap. Second, it’s hands-down the best Mexican fast food around, period. One meal from this place and you’ll never want to eat at one of those big fast food chain Mexican joints AGAIN!

Best bets:

Their tacos. Delish.

Combo burritos…yum

Bean & Cheese Burritos…double yum.

A visit here is not complete without a side of refried beans. (And the nachos are pretty tasty too)!
What can we say? It’s just good food for little $$$…can’t go wrong, (and all the teenagers in the surrounding area will tell you so too)!

TAKE-OUT

Royal Thai

Not only is Royal Thai a great restaurant for eating in, but mostly this restaurant is our favorite for take-out. Full of flavor and amazing oriental technique.

Our recommendation for your food on the go:

The Curry. Yep, that’s what we can’t get over…just good ole grubbin’ curry, with the brown rice. Yellow…you can go mild, medium or hell-blazin’ hot, but we like the curry regardless of the heat. Pair it with whatever…who cares? A glass of water even works, but the curry is the bomb!

We also recommend the Pad Se Ew. Think broccoli beef…that is, if you order the beef option. With a great blend of garlic and other spices, this dish is sure to delight.

Our third recommendation it the Drunken Noodles. You can order the heat on a scale of 1 to 5…we recommend you order the 3, if you like spicy, for your first time around. (Just gonna have to trust us on that…we’ve done the living and learning on that dish already, for you)! So savory with onion and perfectly cooked noodles, the sauce will make your mouth water!

Enjoy your dining delight in the Gold Country, and if you discover some other gold nuggets-of-restaurants in this area, be sure to tell us about them!

About the author

Michele Giacomini

Daytripper Magazine Editor-in-Chief, Michele Giacomini, is a Lifestyles Writer and the author of Looking for B.O.B. (Brightsides of Bull$#!+). She writes about everything chocolate, wine, food, travel and shoes—for everything else, she just makes fun of it. You may follow her here at Daytripper Magazine, or
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